Before an audience of family and friends, 1,766 students received their degrees during Ohio State’s 354th commencement ceremony on Dec. 8 at St. John Arena.Jo Ann Davidson, speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, offered advice to the autumn quarter graduates and shared accounts of obstacles she has faced as a woman in public office. “(Ohio State) helps to develop and improve the entire quality of education in our state,” Davidson said. Following her speech, Davidson was presented with an honorary doctorate of public administration, which was awarded to honor her three decades of public service. Richard Hollingsworth, special assistant for the Housing, Food Services and Event Centers, announced that the autumn 2000 graduating class represented approximately 60 countries on six continents. Hollingsworth also said graduates would receive their actual diplomas during the ceremony, which is rare for a school of Ohio State’s size. As the graduates were presented with their diplomas by the deans of their colleges, it was announced that Ellen Doughty, who earned a bachelor’s of science in education, held the top Grade Point Average of the class with a 4.0. The ceremony ended with the traditional singing of “Carmen Ohio.” While family and friends congratulated the graduates, they reminisced about their days at OSU. Kristen Myers, an English major who graduated cum laude from the School of Humanities, said what she would miss the most was OSU’s sense of school spirit. “Just walking into the Horseshoe gives me goose bumps,” Myers said. “When you hear the crowd cheering, no matter what the score is, you can feel the school loyalty.”Sara Good, a graduate in molecular genetics, had some advice to give students about to embark on their college careers. “You definitely need to work hard in your classes, but make sure that you balance everything out and take time for yourself too,” she said. “When it’s over, you’ll look back, unable to believe how quickly the time has passed. So make sure that when you leave here, it’s with no regrets.”